Oven air flow arrangement

ABSTRACT

An oven includes air deflectors arranged about a fan to aid in equalizing flow to two sides of the fan. The oven may also include plenums located on opposite sides of the oven cavity, with air interruption panels located in the plenums.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to ovens and, more specifically, to an oven air flow arrangement.

BACKGROUND

Ovens having a variety of air flow arrangements are known in the art. One struggle encountered with oven air flow is to achieve a balance of air to different flow paths. It would be desirable to provide an oven with features adapted to aid in providing a more uniform air flow.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, an oven, includes a cavity for receiving food products to be cooked and having a door to provide access thereto, and a heat exchanger section for providing heat. An air flow system includes at least one fan and an air flow path for enabling air to circulate from the heat exchanger section where it is heated, into the cavity for transferring heat to food products, and back to the heat exchanger section for further heating. The air flow path includes: an opening in a wall of the cavity for delivering air from the cavity to the heat exchanger section, the fan located in the heat exchanger section and aligned with the opening; a plurality of air deflectors located in the heat exchanger section and disposed circumferentially about the fan, each air deflector including a major deflector panel and a minor deflector panel, the minor deflector panel and major deflector panel intersecting at respective panel ends, wherein each of a multiplicity of the air deflectors are positioned with the minor deflector panel located closer to an axis of the fan than a free end of the major deflector panel, and at least one air deflector is positioned with the minor deflector panel located further from the axis of the fan than the free end of the major deflector panel.

In another aspect, an oven includes a cavity for receiving food products to be cooked and having a door to provide access thereto, and a heat exchanger section for providing heat. An air flow system includes at least one fan and an air flow path for enabling air to circulate from the heat exchanger section where it is heated, into the cavity for transferring heat to food products, and back to the heat exchanger section for further heating. The air flow path includes: an opening in a rear wall of the cavity for delivering air from the cavity to the heat exchanger section, the fan moving air through the opening; a first flow path along a first plenum adjacent a first side wall of the cavity; a first air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across a width of the first plenum, the first air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of an oven layout;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the rear wall of the oven cavity of the oven of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3. is a perspective view of the rear wall of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of one embodiment of an air deflector;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of another embodiment of an air deflector;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the outer plenum cavity left wall of the oven of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the outer plenum cavity right wall of the oven of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the left cavity wall of the oven of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the right cavity wall of the oven of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a top plan schematic view of an oven 10 is shown. The oven 10 includes a cavity 12 for receiving food products to be cooked and having a door 14 to provide access thereto. The door is hinged for movement about a pivot axis 16. The cavity may include side rails 18 extending inward from the left and right side walls 20 and 22 of the cavity for supporting food product trays or racks (not shown). A rear wall 24 of the cavity has an opening 26 that leads to a heat exchanger section 28 of the oven. The heat exchange section includes one or more heating elements 30 (e.g., one or more resistive heating elements or heat exchange tubes associated with gaseous fuel burners). The heat exchanger section may also include steam generating structure, such as masses of steel 32 located to be heated and positioned to have water delivered thereto in order to generate steam upon impact with the hot steel mass.

An air flow system includes at least one fan 34 and an air flow path for enabling air to circulate from the heat exchanger section 28 where it is heated, into the cavity 12 for transferring heat to food products, and back to the heat exchanger section 28 for further heating. The air flow path includes the opening 26 in rear wall 24 of the cavity 12 for delivering air from the cavity 12 to the heat exchanger section 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the fan 34 is located in the heat exchanger section and aligned with the opening 26. A plurality of air deflectors 36 are located in the heat exchanger section and disposed circumferentially about the fan 30. In this regard, reference is made to FIGS. 2, 3, 4A and 4B. FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the rear cavity wall 24 from the behind the cavity and shows four air deflectors 36A-36D positioned about the fan (not shown). Each air deflector is mounted to the exterior surface of the rear cavity wall and includes a major deflector panel 38A-38D and a minor deflector panel 40A-40D, along with a mount flange 42A-42D. The minor deflector panel and major deflector panel of each deflector intersect at respective panel ends and form a V-shape in the region of intersection.

As shown, three of the air deflectors 36A, 36B and 36 C are positioned with the minor deflector panel 40A, 40B and 40C located closer to a rotation axis 50 of the fan than a free end 52A, 52, B and 52C of the major deflector panel 38A, 38B and 38C. By contrast, air deflector 36D is positioned with the minor deflector panel 40D located further from the axis 50 of the fan than the free end 52D of the major deflector panel 38D. Thus, each air deflector 36A, 36B and 36C is each of the multiplicity of the air deflectors is positioned with a closed end of the V-shape closer to the axis 50 of the fan than the free end 52A, 52B and 52C of the major deflector panel 38A, 38B and 38C, while the air deflector 36D is positioned with the closed end of the V-shape further from the axis 50 of the fan than the free end 52D of the major deflector panel 38D. The exact angle of each air deflector panel relative to the fan axis could vary. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B one or more of the deflector panels may include a generally rectangular major panel, while one or more of the other deflectors could include a cutout 54 in the major deflector panel, the cutout 54 located along the free end of the major deflector panel. In the illustrated embodiment, air deflectors 36B, 36C and 36D have a full major panel per FIG. 4A and air deflector 36A has a major panel with a cutout 54 per FIG. 4B.

The air deflectors aid in equalizing the air coming off the fan wheel to provide a balance to both the left and right side of the fan.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the oven air flow system includes air flow plenums 60 and 62 extending along the exterior of each side wall 22 and 22 of the and bounded by a respective outer wall 64 and 66. Each plenum forms and air flow path for air that moves outward from the fan at the rear of the cooking cavity, so that heated air will flow along both sides of the oven as depicted by the arrows 68. Plenum 60 includes air flow interruption panels 70, 72 and 73 and plenum 62 includes air flow interruption panels 74 and 76. Each air flow interruption panel extends from the outer side wall of its respective plenum toward the side wall of the cooking cavity, with an upstream end of the first air flow interruption panel spaced further from the cooking cavity side wall than a downstream end of the air flow interruption panel.

Referring now to the schematic side elevation of FIG. 5, which provides a view (left to right relative to FIG. 1) of the outer side wall 64, the relative size and position of the air flow interruption panels 70, 72 and 73 is shown. Panel 70 is positioned upstream of panels 72 and 73. Panels 70 and 72 have substantially the same width, but panel 72 has a height that is about 15-30% greater than the height of panel 70. Panel 73 is the smallest of the panels, having a width that is between about 50-70% the width of panels 70 and 72 and a height that is between about 50-70% the height of panel 70. Each panel includes a plurality of perforations distributed across a majority of its surface. By of example, the perforated are of each panel may be between about 50-60% of the area defined by the perimeter of the panel. Air flow direction relative to the wall 64 is shown by arrows 80. Referring again to FIG. 1, panels 70 and 72 depart from the outer plenum side wall at an interior angle of between about 15 to 25 degrees, while panel 73 departs from the outer plenum side wall 64 at a significantly greater angle of between about 35 to 45 degrees. In each case, the air flow interruption panel extends only partly across a width of the plenum 60.

The air flow interruption panels provided in the respective plenums aid in equalizing air flow along the two plenums, and produce back pressures to assist in equalizing pressure and air flow to the orifice holes that lead into the cooking cavity.

Referring now to FIG. 6, which provides a view (right to left relative to FIG. 1) of the outer side wall 66, the relative size and position of the air flow interruption panels 74 and 76 is shown. Panel 74 is positioned upstream of panel 76. Panels 74 and 76 have substantially the same width, but panel 76 has a height that is about 40-60% greater than the height of panel 74. Each panel includes a plurality of perforations distributed across a majority of its surface. Again, by of example, the perforated are of each panel may be between 50-60% of the area defined by the perimeter of the panel. Air flow direction relative to the wall 66 is shown by arrows 82. Referring again to FIG. 1, panels 74 and 76 depart from the outer plenum side wall at an interior angle of between about 15 to 25 degrees, with panel 76 departing the outer plenum side wall at a slightly greater angle than panel 74. In each case, the air flow interruption panel extends only partly across a width of the plenum 60, though panel 76 extends almost entirely across the plenum width.

Referring now to the schematic side elevation of FIG. 7, which provides a view (right to left relative to FIG. 1) of the side wall 20 of the cavity 12, a plurality of openings 84 are provided to deliver air from the plenum side of the wall 20 into the cavity. Air flow behind the wall 20 in the plenum is from right to left as shown by arrows 86. Referring to the schematic side elevation of FIG. 8, which provides a view (left to right relative to FIG. 1) of the side wall 22 of the cavity 12, a plurality of openings 88 are provided to deliver air from the plenum side of the wall 22 into the cavity. Air flow behind the wall 22 in the plenum is from left to right as shown by arrows 90. In the case of both wall 20 and wall 22, the respective perforations 84 and 88 are distributed such that flow area back into the oven cavity increases when moving downstream along the respective plenum.

Referring again to FIG. 1., The oven includes a compartment/area 94 along the right side of cavity 12, which may house controls for the machine. A user interface 96 is provided to the right side of the door 14. The oven may include control logic storing multiple possible cooking programs.

It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible. 

1. An oven, comprising: a cavity for receiving food products to be cooked and having a door to provide access thereto; a heat exchanger section for providing heat; and an air flow system including at least one fan and an air flow path for enabling air to circulate from the heat exchanger section where it is heated, into the cavity for transferring heat to food products, and back to the heat exchanger section for further heating, wherein the air flow path includes: an opening in a wall of the cavity for delivering air from the cavity to the heat exchanger section, the fan located in the heat exchanger section and aligned with the opening; a plurality of air deflectors located in the heat exchanger section and disposed circumferentially about the fan, each air deflector including a major deflector panel and a minor deflector panel, the minor deflector panel and major deflector panel intersecting at respective panel ends, wherein each of a multiplicity of the air deflectors are positioned with the minor deflector panel located closer to an axis of the fan than a free end of the major deflector panel, and at least one air deflector is positioned with the minor deflector panel located further from the axis of the fan than the free end of the major deflector panel.
 2. The oven of claim 1 wherein, for each air deflector, the minor deflector panel intersects the major deflector panel at an angle to form a V-shape, each of the multiplicity of the air deflectors is positioned with a closed end of the V-shape closer to the axis of the fan than the free end of the major deflector panel, the at least one air deflector is positioned with the closed end of the V-shape further from the axis of the fan than the free end of the major deflector panel.
 3. The oven of claim 2 wherein, the opening is in a rear wall of the oven, the air flow system further includes: a first flow path along a first plenum adjacent a first side wall of the cavity, a first air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across a width of the first plenum, the first air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein.
 4. The oven of claim 3, further comprising: a second air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across the width of the first plenum, the second air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein, the second air flow interruption panel located downstream of the first air flow interruption panel.
 5. The oven of claim 3 wherein the first air flow interruption panel extends from an outer side wall of the first plenum toward the first side wall of the cavity, an upstream end of the first air flow interruption panel spaced further from the first side wall than a downstream end of the first air flow interruption panel.
 6. An oven, comprising: a cavity for receiving food products to be cooked and having a door to provide access thereto; a heat exchanger section for providing heat; and an air flow system including at least one fan and an air flow path for enabling air to circulate from the heat exchanger section where it is heated, into the cavity for transferring heat to food products, and back to the heat exchanger section for further heating, wherein the air flow path includes: an opening in a rear wall of the cavity for delivering air from the cavity to the heat exchanger section, the fan moving air through the opening; a first flow path along a first plenum adjacent a first side wall of the cavity; a first air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across a width of the first plenum, the first air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein.
 7. The oven of claim 6, wherein the air flow path further includes: a second flow path along a second plenum adjacent a second side wall of the cavity; a second air flow interruption panel located along the second flow path and extending partly across a width of the second plenum, the second air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein.
 8. The oven of claim 7, wherein the air flow path further includes: a third air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across the width of the first plenum, the third air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein, the third air flow interruption panel located downstream of the first air flow interruption panel.
 9. The oven of claim 7, wherein: the first air flow interruption panel extends from an outer side wall of the first plenum toward the first side wall of the cavity, an upstream end of the first air flow interruption panel spaced further from the first side wall than a downstream end of the first air flow interruption panel; and the second air flow interruption panel extends from an outer side wall of the second plenum toward the second side wall of the cavity, an upstream end of the second air flow interruption panel spaced further from the second side wall than a downstream end of the second air flow interruption panel.
 10. The oven of claim 7, wherein: the first plenum includes a plurality of openings for delivering air back into the oven cavity, the plurality of openings arranged such that flow area back into the oven cavity increases when moving downstream along the first plenum; the second plenum includes a plurality of openings for delivering air back into the oven cavity, the plurality of openings arranged such that flow area back into the oven cavity increases when moving downstream along the second plenum. 